Two Strong Harts
by Hart Matters
Summary: A seven year old Maya Hart learns that even the strongest women can be weak. Based off a line from Girl Meets I Do; not at all spoiler-ish except for the one line.


**Author's Note:** Contains spoilers. Well.. not really, just a line Maya says in Girl Meets I Do.  
 **Disclaimer:** I don't own GMW.

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She couldn't sleep. Ever since her dad left her, Maya had been a light sleeper. Katy's weeping and sobs kept her up at night, nearly every night, but Maya owed her sleeping habits to her dad. When she was younger, Maya would wait up, always anticipating the sound of the door opening followed by, a deep and familiar voice saying, "I'm home, Babygirl!" Most of those nights, she'd allow herself to sleep around 2am, promising herself that she'd wake up the second he'd come through the door. For months Maya would only ever let herself fall into a half slumber. For months, Maya hoped and wished upon stars that she couldn't see that her father would come back. She developed poor sleeping habits and found that hope was for suckers.

A seven year old Maya Hart brought her legs over the edge of her bed and hopped down from the mattress, slipping on her fuzzy cheetah-printed slippers. She took a deep breath of air, bracing herself for the familiar scene she would find in her mother's bedroom. Maya shuffled her feet across the floor, finding her way across the hall. Like it was tradition, the tiny blonde pushed open her mother's door with a frown upon her face.

As she expected, Katy Hart—the strongest woman she knew—was laying in bed with her back to the door. The light from the hallway was the only thing that helped Maya find her mother, her shoulders shaking with each and every sob. With furrowed brows, Maya walked over to the edge of her mom's bed and reached a comforting hand to the shaking shoulder. "Mom?"

It was odd that Katy Hart gasped as if caught off guard. It was odd that she continued to do so when this same particular scene had happened so often. Katy Hart turned her head to face her daughter with tears fresh on her cheeks. "B—babygirl," she stuttered, trying hard to even out her breathing.

Maya gave her mom the best smile she could. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get Katy twist around fully, pull back the covers and let Maya crawl into bed with her.

Maya held onto Katy's torso, placing her head under her mother's chin. Her mother's sobbing was a lot more quiet, but Maya knew that she hadn't stopped. She could feel Katy try and control the shaking. She could feel how tense her jaw was as she tried to stop the tears from falling, but Maya could feel the wet droplets that fell on her hair every so often.

Katy wrapped her arms around Maya tightly, so tight it was as if she were holding onto her last breath. Maya didn't know it, but she was. Her mother was holding onto the her last piece of her heart, her own daughter; the daughter that looked so much like her father. Still so young, Maya's face-shape resembled that of her father's, as did the color of her eyes, the wave to her hair, and most painful of all: the smile on Maya's face when she laughed.

Making her daughter laugh was one of the most hardest things that Katy Hart had ever done. It had been years since Kermit left and Katy knew that Maya deserved to think well of her father. So she never spoke ill of him, in fact sometimes Katy would recall memories that would pull at her heartstrings, like the time Kermit had fallen into a mudpit because he was so preoccupied pretending to be an airplane with Maya on his shoulders. That was one of Maya's favorite memories and it always made her laugh. Katy wanted that for Maya. She wanted Maya to think of her father and be able to remember the good times. She wanted Maya to smile because as long as her daughter was smiling, Katy Hart had faith that she could still do one thing right.

"Mom?" Maya spoke into her mother's chest. When her mother didn't answer, she continued. "Would you stop crying if Daddy came back?"

Katy let out a deep breath and pulled herself away from the little girl in her arms to be able to look her in the eyes. The hallway light casted a shadow upon the two, but they were able to make each other out in the dim light. She gave her daughter the best smile she could muster. "We don't need anyone else, babygirl." Katy's smile widened. "All I need is you."

Maya looked at her mother, straight in the eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat that had started to form. Tears threatened to fall with each passing word, "He's not coming back is he?"

Katy closed her eyes tightly and drew her daughter closer once more, clutching on the back of Maya's shirt. The tears started to fall again, just when she thought there were no more to shed. This time as she spoke, she didn't put up any airs. Her voice was shaky and portrayed all the hurt she had tried so hard to conceal from her daughter. "No, babygirl. I—I don't think he is."

Maya Hart was strong. She was a lot stronger than anyone would ever give her credit for. She knew this. She also knew she learned how to be strong from her mother.

This night in particular, the two strong Harts allowed themselves a moment of weakness and cried until there were no more tears to cry. This night, Maya learned that even the strongest women could be weak.

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 **Author's note:** Just a little break from Holding On. Let me know what you guys think. :)


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